Veterinary hopple



T. OLINGER.

VETERINARY-HOPPLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEZI, 191s.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920-.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\ THOMAS OLINGER, 0F HOLLAND, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNDR TO HOLLAND LIGHTING AND SPECIALTY COMPANY, OF HOLLAND, MICHIGAN, .A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

VETERINARY HOPPLE.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

Application filed June 21, 1918. Serial No. 241,254.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS OLINGER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Holland, in the county of Ottawa and State of Michigan have invented cer-' tain new and useful Im orovements in Veterinary Hopples; and do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the'invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a veterinary hopple construction, being particularly con cerned withhopples which are to be used in securing large animals. It is desirable that when a hopple is applied to the leg of a large and powerful animal, a rigid holding of the animal in place may be attained, so that the same cannot by its struggles and exertions cause any damage to adjacent apparatus or danger to persons in thevicinity, and my invention is particularly directed to the provision of a new and improved hopple construction by which this end is completely attained in a particularly simple and effective manner.

For an understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section, through'a fragment of a veterinary table equipped with my invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are, respectively, plan and edge views of a triangular shaped connecting link forming one important element of the hopple construction.

Figs. 1 and 5 are, respectively, side and plan views of a hook member of the hopple, and

Figs. 6 and 7 are, respectively, plan and side views of a stirrup used in conjunction with the hook and forming one element of the hopple construction.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 1 indicating the position of the parts of the hopple when attached to the leg of an animal, the leg being indicated in dotted lines in outline.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different views of the drawing.

The hopple is used with any suitable relatively rigid support such as a veterinary table 1, though the support may be of any other type or construction, this hopple being adapted for use not only with veterinary tables but with stocks and other constructions for holding large animals against movement. The table or other support has an opening theretln'ough in which a cylindrical metal sleeve 2 is secured, the outer portion of which is enlarged and elevated to cover portions of the support around the opening, as indicated at 3, its outer annular surface being curved in the arc of a circle, as indicated at 4:. Que of these sleeves 2 with an outer ei'ilargement 3 and having a curved surface 4: is used with each hopple necessary for attachment to the leg of an animal. 7

In the construction of the hopple itself, a

triangular shaped link having sides 5, 6, and

7 as shown, is made use of, to the corners of which one end of chains 8, 9, and 10 are secured. The chain 10 passes through the sleeve 2 and is wound around any suitable post, such as 11, which may be rotatably mounted to wind up the chain and draw the triangular link into the sleeve 2, as shown in Fig. 1. The chain 9 is of short length, and connects at its opposite end to one end 12 of a hook member 13, the same having a slot 14 at its free end dividing the same into two spaced apart fingers 15. A U-shaped stirrup 16 has legs passing one on each side of the hook member, being pivotally connected thereto as indicated at 17. The chain 8 passes through the stirrup 16 and any link thereof may be entered in the slot 14. be-' from the post 11 for a distance, the hopple may be brought to the leg of an animal and attached by passing the free length of chain 8 around the leg, thence through the stirrup 16, drawing the same snugly against the leg of the animal and then passing a link.

of the chain 8 into slot 14: between the fingers 15 as shown in Fig. 8. It is evident that the stirrup at the bend thereof is forced into position to act as a lock against the accidental disconnection of the link from the slot 14.. By winding shaft 11, the hopple with the leg of the animal may be drawn closely against theside of the support which, in the present instance, is the table 1. The apex of the triangle formed at the juncture of the sides 6 and 7 of the triangular link is drawn into the sleeve 2, the sides 6 and 7 bearing against the curved portion 4: of the outer enlarged annular section 3 of the sleeve. The bearing made by the triangular linkand such curved surfaces 4- is one particularly rigid and non-yielding so that any struggle of the animal when hoppled and drawn to position is unavailing to release the animal or, in fact, permit it to move its legs away from the table or other support against which they have been drawn. When once the triangular link has been drawn into place, a practically rigid connection of the hopple to the support is made and one which does not permit yielding or change of position of the leg of an animal which has been hoppled as described.

The construction is relatively simple but is very effective in actual operation. It has proven very practical in actual service. Changes in constructive detail, so far as the particular construction of the hopple chains and connecting devices therefor are concerned, may be resorted to without departing from my invention which is concerned primarily with thetriangular link connection, in conjunction with the receiving sleeve of the form shown and described, or one equivalent thereto.

I claim:

1. In combination, a support, a cylindrical sleeve attached thereto, said sleeve at one end terminating in an annular enlarged portion having a curved outer. surface, a trianangular shaped link, a flexible member attached at one apex of the triangular link and passing through the sleeve, means to draw the triangular link into the sleeve with the sides thereof bearing against the curved surface of the enlarged outer portion of the sleeve, and hopple members attached to the remaining apexes of said triangular link, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a support having an opening therethrough, a sleeve passing through said opening and provided at one end vith an enlarged annular portion surrounding the opening through the sleeve and formed with a surface flaring outwardly from the inner surface of the sleeve, a triangular link, a flexible member attached at one apex of the link and passing through the sleeve, and hopple members attached to the other apexes of the link, substantially as described.

In combination with a support, a memher having an opening therethrough secured tc the support, the surface of said member around the opening being turned outwardly and away from the opening, a link having converging sides, a flexible member connected to the link at the point of convergence of the sides, and passing through the opening in the first member, and hopple members connected to the link, substantially as described. i 4. In combination a support, a member having a ring-like portion attached; to the support, the opening through said rmg-hke portion of the member converging inwardly, a second member having converging sides, a flexible device connected to said second member adjacent the point of convergence of the sides thereof, and hopple members connected tov opposite portions of said second member, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

THOMAS OLINGER. 

